Town hall meeting on NIU planning today

The meeting will be at City Hall Council Chambers, 200 S. Fourth St., and will start with introductory comments from Rey. NIU’s Vice President of Public Safety and Community Relations Bill Nicklas and other university officials are expected to attend.

Almost 100 people attended a similar town hall meeting Sunday night to voice concerns and ask questions about the changes proposed at NIU’s campus and the neighborhoods surrounding it.

At that meeting, NIU President Douglas Baker explained the “Bold Ideas Thesis” that has spurred an uproar among some DeKalb residents was the result of five days of work done by a design team, stressing the fluidity of the ideas.

The university also held two “Bold Futures” workshops to think of ways to change campus layout and transportation plans in hopes of reversing declining enrollment, attracting and retaining more students, and creating a greater connection between the university and the city.